Carol Sue Thanks. Yes it does feel good and now I must work at staying in the 170s while working towards getting to 169. I just pray that I can keep going down.

In my opinion you are struggling so hard that you can't relax with what you are doing. I say that because I went through that too. You are eating out a lot too and you can't always know what is in your food or how it is prepared with seasonings etc. However, I think if you do great managing it, but not you aren't able relax and be more confident in what you are doing. Struggle is stress and some how you need to be able to just do it the best you can and trust that the weight will come eventually come off. That is what I finally had to do. And I have to say that is the hardest part is waiting. Once I knew that I had a plan that was healthy, I just decided to trust it and pray for the Good Lord to help me because I figured that He created my body so who best to know what it needs.

You know that you are going to go out to eat and I think you are doing a good job finding which foods work best for you. So now you just need to learn how to put it together into a way that it works for you. Taste means a lot as well as working into your foods the ones that you don't really want to give up. I know you can do it and you will figure it out and I pray the Lord witll help you to do just that. That book we read Click has helped me a lot because she knew what she was not willing to give up and just worked around it.

I have a head of cabbage boiling in a pot and will put some of it up in the freezer for meals. I decided to cook & freeze because I am bad about putting it in veggie drawer in fridge and forgetting it. This way it won't go bad. We are having French onion chicken with it and a salad. I don't eat salads everyday any more. I just have it when I have a taste for it. I guess I'm doing my own version of IF and Mindful eating and counting calories.

I am cold. Our temps are not low enough for heat to come on and not warm enough for air. Hope we are saving money on electricity right now. They say prices are going up on everything so this is the time to re-evaluate things we are doing and there are some things I'm just not interested in doing any more.

I hope everybody is having a great day and staying safe and warm.

Trish, it wasn't long ago, maybe 2 weeks, that we were at the same weight. I'm continuing to bounce while you are actually 10 lbs lower than I right now! You are just zooming along and I have no doubt that you will continue. Good for you.

We went to Rodneys for dinner and I had a chicken salad sandwich. It was good, but I didn't feel well and nothing really appealed to me. I ate half. When I got home I had potty issues then I felt better, and I finished the sandwich. About 1220 calories for the day but I don't know how many of then I kept. I did not get sleepy today or nap so I guess I got enough sleep last night.

We tend to eat at the same restaurants over and over and I know their menus and what I can order. DH no longer minds if I order soup and salad or some other small meal. My problem is still snacking and overeating between meals. That needs to just stop and I need to do better staying within my eating window. DH always has snack food but most of it doesn't interest me, and I'm doing better at not buying things I like. I used to buy different types of crackers, no more. I stay out of that aisle. I used to snack on cheese, but recently I've thrown out so much cheese that has gone moldy. I guess I'm just eating enough of something to keep me from losing well. I think for a,few days I cut back too much and my body rebelled.

I will figure this out.

Carol Sue Remember that it took me a while to adjust so this would work for me. The one thing I did do was that when I wanted something to eat that would not be considered on a diet, I ate it and counted it in my calories count each day. I didn't have anything off limits. This gave me more freedom and it worked for me. Some days my count was too high but now, my problem is trying to get my calories up to the 1000 calorie count, but it is working so far. I try to stay within at least an 8 hr eating window but sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't but I am trusting that the good times will out weigh the bad and eventually it will become a habit for me. Consistency is the key to the success we will eventually have. Because we will never give up and throw in the towel.

Weight is down to 188.6 today. Probably from the potty issues.

Trish, I eat things I like. I don't eat things considered to be "diet food". But I try to eat things that have nutrients, not junk food with empty calories. I believe that the body wants nutrients and will push you to eat more until it gets them. I could be wrong. But my off switch is broken. Its an eating disorder. My body is slow to get the message " You have had enough, stop eating.". When I get the taste of food my appetite goes into overdrive and I eat more than I need. I am working on changing that. Maybe I should start eating things I don't like so I will eat less. I have made improvements. I'm just not there 100 %. In most cases I am better off to fast as long as I can because once I eat I want more and more instead of feeling satisfied. I have plenty of fat to live off of for a while. I need to gradually get my body used to eating when hungry and stopping when I've had enough. Its like putting fuel in your car. You don't add more when the tank is already full.

Losing weight is a complicated task. I am very happy for you that you have found what works for you and made lifestyle changes. I pray that you will be able to continue down and will maintain your losses. And I pray that I will do it too. Somehow I got from my highest weight of 217 to 188 that I am today. And I can do more.

Our coffee maker we ordered never came. Target charged me for it on my credit card but UPS has no record of receiving it. I'm glad that I don't NEED it but I won't pay for something I did not receive. I called Target and they were very nice about it. They asked me to wait a,few more days and gave me a case number so I can call back. I think this will be resolved satisfactorily, and if it never comes they will issue a credit.
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My fasting app quit working right. I uninstalled it and tried to reinstall it but it doesn't seem to be available. I liked it so much and I can't find another free one. When you get half way thru setting them up they make you choose a payment plan. I guess,everyone has to make money. I just like having an easy way to record when I start and stop. I don't need all the bells and whistles.

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I found 2 that seem to be free. I downloaded them both and will try them to see if I want them. I can always delete them.

I changed my side bar to 179.6 since I weighed that again this morning. I am determined to keep the weight going off. I find the cutest pajamas I bought years ago and gained too much wear it even then it fit tight. They are perfect for this cold weather. The nice thing is that the pants are a little loose. I still can't close the top but I like to wear a short gown with it over it so I don't have to button it. It is exciting to be able to wear things that I couldn’t wear before.

Carol Sue I still have to do things or I can get out of control. One thing I really have to watch is portions too. I thought of that last night when I ate popcorn. I love the cheddar flavor DH eats, but I realized this morning that I need to measure out a portion and I need to eat half a portion not a whole one. WW used to say that when you go out to eat you should as for a doggie bag up front and have them serve you just half the portion so you aren’t tempted to eat more. I never did that although I did try to learn that I don’t have to eat it all. Maybe you could figure out some little trick that would work for you. Some of the food you want to eat you could portion out to a smaller amount. I’ve learned that if some foods are there and not portioned out I will over eat. Example, nuts, chips which I don’t eat often, etc. I call these little games I play with myself to help me eat less and stay own plan. One thing that clicked for me one day was that the portions of servings with info on a product lable is based on a 2000 calorie daily amounts. I realized that I probably should be eating ½ the serving if I wanted to lose weight. I am sure you will figure it out and find your own little tricks that work for you as well. We can only share our experiences, but what works for one doesn't or won't work for someone else. Praying for you Dear friend.

I hope you get things straightened out and get your coffee maker. I had that problem with the first thing I mail ordered from Walmart. They tried to track it too and never could find out where it went so they resent my order. I hope Target will do the same. I’m sure they will. They don’t want to lose a customer.

Well, I have to get busy. Hope everybody has a great day.

Trish, I learned a long time ago when your meal comes,divide it in half and only eat half. I do that often but usually eat all of the vegetables. DH never brings food home. He leaves it, unless its meat for the dog. He would never eat leftovers. I think I will start doing that. It is wasting food to leave it, but its better than me eating it. I need to practice throwing food away. I used to give our leftovers to my step daughter and her DH would take them for his lunch but he doesn't do that anymore. I don't think he eats lunch anymore. He eats OMAD. He eats a big dinner but he is thin. Everyone does something different.

Today DH made egg salad and I ate egg salad on Sara Lee bread. I don't know what we will eat for dinner. I don't like to go out on weekends. That's when everyone goes out and its crowded.

My DH also likes cheese flavored popcorn but I only like plain.

Carol Sue I think you are doing a lot of things right and just need to relax with your plan and trust that things will start happening for you. Maybe your body is just in the adjustment stage to your healthier way of eating. That was and still is the hardest part for me. We want everything to be easy and this has never been easy for me even when I was young. I think for me it has been my mind set.

I was talking about that to DH the other day. We were talking about our first trip back to TX after we married. He had taken me out to buy all new clothes for the trip and I told him that I was shocked that I was buying clothes that were size 14 and they fit so nicely. I thought it was a mistake because to me I my mindset was that I couldn't have possibly worn something that small. Now I'm trying think of where I am now. I need to remember that I no longer have to wear 2 or 3Xs. Even though we are about the same weight, you are able to wear a smaller size than I do because our shape is different. We have come a long way and it has taken us a long time but we are here and we will keep it going.

Now we have to give ourselves credit for what we have done and just adjust to go where we want to be and thank God you don't weigh 217 any more and I have never weighed my highest of 265 after I lost it the first time.I lost 15 lbs back then in the 70s, but I had a difficult time ever getting below 200 without diet pills. Now what I've lost is real loss without a diet doctor and his dangerous pills. I think we have done a good job which encourages me that we can go the rest of the way.

Trish, my weight is all in my upper body. I can wear a size 14 pants as long as they have elastic waist. I always called them old lady pants and now that's what I need. LOL. But to be comfortable I need a 1X or 2X top. I have belly fat and love handles. They say upper body fat is the easiest to lose but it isn't easy for me.

I appreciate all the encouragement you are giving me. It helps when someone believes in you. I would be happy to have some of my clothes get too big so I could donate them. I have a lot that are too small that I could get out to wear. I wear a lot of my clothes all year round because I can wear short sleeve tops with a jacket or sweater.

I agree that we have done well to lose weight without pills or diet supplements.

I woke up at 5 am and could not fall back to sleep. I got up at 6 am and this day has dragged and seems to go on forever. With it getting dark early I feel like its time to go to bed.

Hi friends: doing well here. I am 157.5 today after my eating day, not after a fasting day. That's wonderful. I will fast today. Also a little NSV, went to visit friends last night, including playing cards for a while, and we stuck to our clear drinks, even though they put out some chips and were snacking themselves. They are both thin people, are the kind who can have a little bowl of chips on the table and each have a few and the rest just sit there for an hour and they don't eat them. HA.
Well, I was actually not tempted, I had a good keto supper before we went over so I was truly not hungry. I did drink a lot of bubbly beverages (actually called Bubly) but I was not tempted to eat.
FBS also 5.1 so that was great.

Trish: I am so happy for you, you are doing great and getting it down! How wonderful. How are your blood sugars doing?

Carol: I know you are still struggling, and I think Trish is right, you still don't really get to eat how you would like to eat, and you are right, you are still snacking too much. I hope you find the path that is right for you.

Have a lovely Sunday everyone, hope you can get outside and enjoy the day.

Mad, we have Bubly here along with several other brands of the same thing. My DIL introduced me to it and I always have some in the house. I switch between that and plain bottled water.

I know my struggles are my own fault and while suggestions and encouragement are always welcome and appreciated, its something that has to come from me. Most of what goes in my mouth is not from cravings or appetite. Much is just there, so I eat it. It is often healthy food, but too much when I'm not actually hungry. For example, right now I am craving baked fish. Who does that? At 8 AM to boot!

Chips can sit in front of me for hours and not tempt me. I don't like the salty taste. They sell them salt- free but no one else would eat them!

Yesterday was an eating day and also our salty meal day. Having the Lasix really helps for days like that. Weight was up .2 lbs which would have been at least 1 or 2 lbs otherwise. I've been taking them every day since I got them but will now try taking them either every other day or perhaps 3 days a week. I mainly wanted to get as much of the swelling down so my legs and feet feel normal again. Almost there but I don't want to take the Lasix more than needed.

Carol Sue I understand what you are saying and i don't think you would ever give up, but we all need encouragement when we are going through those feelings. You and Mad have been here to encourage me many a time and I appreciate it. That is one of the things I love about this little thread. And I agree there comes a place where it has to click for each of us in a way that nothing any says or does says to us. I appreciate the fact that no one judges each other because we have all gone through it. The key is to go through to the other end and somehow things begin to work. We all have those road blocks or detours but we help each other through sometimes just by being here.

I remember the time I told my SC doc that I eat normal food and he said "Maybe your eating too much healthy food". He was right. The main thing I did back then and still have a tendency to do is eating the right healthy foods and I would try to eat all the foods that were supposed to be good for some problem I had or wanted to avoid. I finally learned that I was overeating the healthy stuff.

I wish I could say a bowl of chips sitting on the table wouldn't tempt me. I do buy them once in a while when I want them for something, I buy a small bag because they are like alcohol to an alcoholic for me. If they are in the house I'm going to eat them.

Fatmad Your body is adjusting to the loss you have lost so that you got that 157.5 without the fast the day before. You are doing great. Great job not eating the chips. I hope to get to that point as well. My FBG is doing great as well. It was 100 this morning after eating in the evening. It usually is in the upper 90s but once in a while depending on what I ate the night before it will go up but I don't go above 105 very much any more. I still take Berberine and a Blood sugar pill that I get from Amazon.

It is cold and sun shining and a beautiful day here and my body is still trying to adjust to cold like it does every year now. Doc told me last year that I had lost my fat that kept me warm so now I have to rely on a blanket or snuggy like grannys in pictures of old people. When did I become that granny. LOL

Have a wonderful Sunday everybody.

Trish, even if I said "That's it, I give up!" It would not happen. Dieting is in my blood and I'm always considering what I'm eating and how much. When I weighed 125 I was constantly trying to get to 120. So I might never get to the weight I want but I'll never stop trying. I have conquered some bad habits but still have more to overcome.

I think the salt is what attracts people to chips. I always ate them with dip and now I realize that's because I didn't want to taste the salt. Put a bowl of chocolate in front of me, like M&MS or Hershey Kisses and that's a different story. I used to say I was buying them for DGS but that was a lie. Now I know I cannot buy them.

I am like you in a way Trish, eating things because I think I need them, like more protein. Eating more food because I have not reached my calorie count.

DH is watching the football game and I think I will clean the bathroom. Fun!

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I had a 19 hour fast overnight. I ate 990 calories in 6.5 hours and added a stick of celery to bring it to 1000 calories on MFP. I only are when hungry and stopped when satisfied. That's what I want.

Bad eating day. Hungry all day and caved in. I am sure I'll have a gain tomorrow but hope to have a better day tomorrow. don't really know why but never could get satisfied or full.

Going to bed. Goodnight.

Hi there, success has me at 156 today, so I am delighted and will eat carefully today. The one GF bread I like is called Unbun and its made with almond flour. Its good if I bake or toast it to be crispy.
I found a low carb bread in the frozen section at the store yesterday. I was looking to see if Unbun had sliced bread or bagels, but they didn't, just buns and "baguettes" I have used the latter to make mini "sub" sandwiches. I bought a seed version of this low carb bread to try, but not sure if I will have that today, or wait for a bit. The weight loss is going so well I am reluctant to do anything no keto for now. perhaps when DD and her fella come to supper on Wednesday I will try something. Today is an eating day, but that means its also a good day to think about food and plan what to make on Wednesday.

Trish, I do find that sometimes when weight loss has been going well, it seems we get a day where our bodies rebel and say "feed me". Having some free foods, high fibre simply filling foods sometimes helps. For me, I go with a low carb veggie like celery and some high fat dip, like blue cheese or ranch. The fat helps me to feel satisfied, and I can graze for a while, indulge in the "mindless eating" I used to be able to do, and enjoy the treat. On my eating days, I have to make sure to do this in my window of eating, but also be sure to eat enough that I am not hungry at bedtime. That way I can manage the fasting much better. I hope the day did not throw you off and you can return to your WOE without problem.

Carol: you are totally right, you have to find your own way. I truly believe the with education and some trial and error, we can find the "right" way for each of us. While I have adapted to IF and EF, and it works for me, for so many reasons, its not right for everyone. Generally, if it works, and you can manage a WOE, its all good from my point of view.

The other day, I shared on a fasting board my change up that has helped me lose more weight recently. Someone encouraged me to "throw away the scale, I need to stop using the scale to give myself self-worth". I was truly insulted. Most of us there are fasting and losing weight for health and well-being. I don't use the scale to feel better about myself, but to keep track of the success of my WOE and keep myself encouraged that this WOE is working. I was sharing my story to encourage others to see that as Dr. Fung says, your body will adapt to a regimen and stop losing and conserve energy, and you need to change it up from time to time.

well there is my rant for the day. Its not too busy this week, until Wednesday, so lots of walking and dealing with boring paperwork and catching up with e-mails.
Have a good day friends.

Mad, I'm so glad you are holding your losses in the 150s. EF definitely works for you and fits your lifestyle.

I understand how some people just cannot face the fluctuations of the scale. It can be disheartening, especially when you think you did well and hormones cause a gain. But I have owned a scale for 54 years and I'm jot going to change now. I'm going to weigh, like it or not.

I'm still reading Fast Feast Repeat and really like it. Last nights chapter was about the scale and other ways to track your progress, such as measuring. Another way is "progress pants.". Buy a pair of pants one size down. Try them on periodically, even take pictures to compare. When they finally fit perfectly, buy a new smaller pair. There's another way that I might try since I already own a doctor's balance beam scale. When you weigh, leave the indicator in place. The next time you weigh if it doesn't indicate a loss leave it in place. Don't move it up to see the gain. Only move it when it goes down so you only see the losses. Another way is to make an Excel spreadsheet showing your weight each day of the week but calculating an average weight. My objection to giving up the scale is I want to know if what I'm doing is not working. I don't want to find out a month or 2 later that I've gained 10 lbs.

Trish, I wouldn't worry about having an eating day. You are doing so well that I don't doubt that you will get right back on plan and continue losing. Mad is right. Your body felt deprived and just needed extra food. I think that has happened to me, too.

I thought I did great yesterday but the scale says differently. Its possible that the calorie counts on MFP were wrong but I doubt if I went over 1200. My stomach was growling during the night. I'm going to stop worrying about the scale for right now. I was happy to not overeat or snack yesterday and stay in a good eating window. I'm going to aim for that right now and try to ditch the overeating habit. That can only be a good thing.

The only thing I don't like about the book is she favors a clean fast. No flavored waters. Sometimes that is what gets you through the fast but I guess you could get used to it.